Author: ieaesp

Your IEA membership guarantees representation at the bargaining table and ensures you have access to free legal services should the need ever arise.

UniServ Directors – IEA’s front-line

UniServ Directors (UDs), located at 22 offices statewide, are IEA’s front-line support for your local association. UDs advocate for your best professional interests and support your efforts to provide high-quality education. Your working conditions are your students’ learning conditions. Like you, IEA wants both to be the best they can be.

Contract negotiations

As a public education employee, your union, as your exclusive bargaining representative, has the legal right to negotiate the terms of your employment. Your contract is the basis for most of your employee rights. It spells out your working hours, evaluation process, work/life benefits, job responsibilities, use of social media and school safety.

Your UD supports your local representatives as they negotiate contracts representing your – and ultimately your students’ – best interests.

Other areas of expertise

UDs also help your local association, at no additional cost, with:

Contract interpretation • Grievance processing • Job security protection • Training programs to meet local needs • Employee counseling for work-related problems • Arbitration case presentations • Unemployment information • Bargaining crisis preparation • Retirement concerns • Public relation programs development • Governance matters assistance • Civil rights violations process • IEA-NEA benefits access

Many ESPs have started or are about to start their summertime recharge. Once the last student leaves the building and you head home, take time for you and recharge your mind, body, and spirit. Many ESPs work second or third jobs to help make ends meet. I encourage you to try to slow down, breathe, and do something you enjoy.

To the many ESPs who work all summer, thank you for doing what you do to prepare for the upcoming school year! What you do is extremely important. I also encourage you to find time to do a little recharge as well. You deserve it!!

You only have one you and you deserve to rest. Thank you for being a hero to so many! Thank you for putting your students successes to the forefront, and thank you for your tireless determination to make our students, schools, and communities better. Enjoy your summer!

WE ARE ESP!!

The 2019 legislative session has come to an end. Few, if any, thought it would have ended on such a high note on so many levels. The majority of this update will focus on the IEA legislative priorities. We also think it is important to inform you about the state budget and other significant legislative initiatives that will greatly benefit IEA members.

ESPs are the backbone of our education system. We support, educate, and inspire our students and help them reach success. Do you wish you had a certain training you could attend to improve your skills? Do you have an idea or topic for a session you would like to present to other ESPs? We are looking for presenters for the One Conference in October for every ESP job category. Yes, you can share your acknowledge and skills with others. Please submit an RFP to present at this years One Conference. I have submitted mine.

CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE NOW!
Applications are being accepted for the following conferences:
o 2019 IEA One Conference – due Sept. 6
o 2019 IEA Ethnic Minority & Emerging Leadership Training (EMELT) – due Sept. 16

The applications are available on Members Only under EVENTS/Funding.

Applications can either be mailed to the attention of Kathi Griffin, President of IEA, 100 E. Edwards St., Springfield, IL, 62704 or emailed to Courtney Gillespie. Any questions regarding funding for the conferences can be directed to Courtney Gillespie.

Don’t miss this opportunity to participate in the National Education Association’s webinar What You Need to Know: ESP Mentoring ESP in the Workplace

Thursday, May 23, 2019
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST

Register at http://neaorg.adobeconnect.com/evbo41l2ikly/event/event_info.html

Do you have inadequate opportunities for professional learning and support? Are you working in isolation with little to no feedback or support? Would you or your ESP colleagues benefit from mentoring? Join our webinar and find out ‘what you need to know’ before developing or designing an ESP peer mentoring program. In this webinar, we will also hear from the Schaumburg Educational Employees Organization (SEEO) about their Partners mentoring program, which has been in existence since 1999 and from the Cedar Rapids Organization of Teacher Associates (CROTA), who are developing a mentoring program for newly hired paraeducators. Let’s learn more about how ESP can support one another through high-quality mentoring programs to build professional excellence across their entire career continuum and ensure student success.

Presenters:

Kandy Bekeris, President, Cedar Rapids Organization of Teacher Associates (CROTA), Iowa
Tania Johnson, President, Cedar Rapids Education Association (CREA), Iowa

Connie Joniec, New Employees & Partners Chair, Schaumburg Educational Employees Organization (SEEO), Illinois

Grace Hwang, Senior Program Specialist, National Education Association, Education Support Professional Quality
INTENDED AUDIENCE:
NEA affiliate leaders, staff, members and partners. All interested parties are welcome. You are encouraged to forward this invite to your partners, leaders and other team members.
Questions? Contact Jessica Brinkley at jdbrinkley@nea.org.
For more ESP professional development opportunities visit http://www.nea.org/esppd.

Happy World ESP Day!

Today is #WorldESPDay. Let’s celebrate #education support professionals who contribute so much to our school communities all over the world! #ProudToBe #ProudToBeESP

This Thursday we are celebrating #WorldESPDay! Today, and every day, we celebrate how #education support professionals help make quality education a reality. Thank you for all you do for the success of your students, schools, and communities. #ProudToBe #ProudToBeESP